WOW Wednesday!

Wow Wednesday is here again and with it some fun ideas for stocking stuffers, teacher gifts, or just that cute item you've had your eye on.
Hope you enjoy the creative, one of a kind goodies I've picked out for you this week.

For the Book Lover this sweet "The Earth Laughs in Flowers" bookmark by Theresa at FaeryMoonGoddess is perfect for the reader on your list.

This lovely Hand Painted Silk Scarf by Jodee from Palette Passion is simply stunning!

Hand crocheted Cotton Dishcloths by MadeForMebyOaklie in beautiful shades of lavenders and greens. Wonderful for the bath as well.

Hand formed from stoneware clay, this adorable Owl Ornament by OneClayBead in NC. Perfect for the owl lover!

Any coffee or tea lover would love this plush Cup Cozy by Natalya. Keeps your drink warm and your hands cool.

Click on the photos to visit any of these shops and see these nice (and Affordable) gifts.

Support handmade this holiday season. You'll be glad you did.

If you see something that you think should be included here, send me a convo at my ArtistiKat Shop or contact me at my ArtKat Shop with your suggestions.

Thanks for stopping by!

WOW Wednesday/ Thursday.

Wow! I'm a day late... I guess WOW Wednesday became WOW Thursday for this week only.

I blame it on my inability to make a holiday header for my ArtistiKat and ArtFire shops that I'm satisfied with. I keep tweaking and tweaking but just haven't gotten "it" yet.

Speaking of holidays, the Christmas holidays are almost upon us. I know I'm not prepared; how about you?
Thought it might be helpful for the next few Wednesdays to focus on some gift ideas.

Its a safe bet that buying handmade will WOW that special someone on your list since it was made with care and attention and you certainly won't see it in bulk at the department stores.

So, here we go:

Silver Pearl definitely gets WOW points for her unique design. I have been drooling over these ever since she listed them. So clever, and definitely unique. She's got them in other gemstones as well.

For the owl lover, the most adorable little Santa Baby Owlet by WoolCrazy. Who could resist that sweet face? I love to scope out her shop, every little owl seems to have its own personality.

Just had to stop and look when I saw this tree by Gary "Wiz" Burns. Perfect for the tree lover, art lover, or anyone who likes a unique piece of craftsmanship.

Love this bowl by Makye77! So awesomely striking; it caught my eye in an instant. It's a safe bet that it will do the same for your giftie (is that a word?).

Hope you like this week's WOWs.
To snag these lovelies, just click on any of the photos to take you right to their shop.

Remember, if you see something that you think is a Wow, or would love to see your item here, just let me know.

Have fun!

WOW WEDNESDAY Returns!

Welcome to WOW WEDNESDAY number 2!

Dedicated to showcasing the many talented artists out across the world wide web.

Whether it’s funny, whimsical, or just strikingly awesome…when I run across something that makes me go WOW, you may see it here.

I've found some fantastically awesome and fun items today for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Going to start of with this amazing Owl Sculpture by Jason Tennant.

For all you jewelry lovers out there.
Here is a marvelous piece of work by Metal Couture Jewelry.

Just couldn't resist showing you this unusual stone by Raven and Pearl.
Doesn't it look like there is a goldfish in this stone?

This hilarious elephant by Blow Hard Glass made me laugh out loud!
What a creative piece!

All the photos are clickable and will take you right to these incredibly talented artists' shops. Definitely stop by and look at all their other amazing creations.

If you see something that makes you go WOW and would like to see it mentioned, please feel free to contact me at my Etsy ArtistiKat shop (just leave me a convo) or my ArtKat shop on ArtFire (email me there).

WOW WEDNESDAY

Wow: 1. An exclamation of pleasure or surprise. 2. A sensational hit; a striking success.

Welcome to ArtistiKat’s first ever WOW list.

Dedicated to showcasing the many talented artists out across the world wide web.

Whether it’s funny, whimsical, or just strikingly awesome…when I run across something that makes me go WOW, you may see it here.

All the photos are clickable if you want to see more of these artists' fantastic work. Take a moment and check out their shops.

Definitely a sensational Pyrite Ring by Stacy of Formandfunktion.

The skill it takes to make something like this just amazes me.

Yummy edible Fall Leaves by Andie Specialty Sweets.

Imagine the incredible amount of work that goes into this.

Awesome mini vase by Kivaford.

I can't even begin to imagine the difficulty of making this unique work of art... and in fire no less.

Incredible Fantasy Dragon by Ellen of Creatures from El.

The detail is astounding!

*** If YOU see something that WOW’s you (or if you want to see one of your items here) send me a convo in my ArtistiKat shop on Etsy, or an email to my Artkat on ArtFire shop… or leave a comment on my blog.

Enjoy!

To Mannequin, or Not to Mannequin...

... That is the question...

Whether it be nobler to wait until I can purchase a real one or go ahead and see if I can make my own... hmmmm.

I've been wanting a mannequin neck/ torso to display my necklaces in my ArtistiKat and ArtKat shops. I've found a few on-line but they were well outside my price range, and also visited many of the department stores in my area to see if they had any broken ones they'd be willing to part with.
No luck.

Most of you know that I hate waiting, so I thought I'd jump in with both feet and see if I can make one.
I have no idea what I'm doing and precious little to work with, but they do say that necessity is the mother of invention... here goes.

First I started with a holiday tree stand that my sweet hubby made for me a couple of years ago to display my jewelry on at craft shows. I cut off the widest bottom branches, covered with a red t-shirt and filled it with newspaper.

Found an old container of plaster/ spakle for patching wall under the sink. added water to make it a runny batter consistency. Ripped paper towels into strips then dipped into the plaster and had a bit of fun.
Here's the rough with the top of the tree still showing. It kinda looks like a manic mummy.
;P

After a lot of sanding and patching, and sanding again, I finally have something that may work. As you can see from the 3/4 view, the back is still rough. I probably won't do much to that; just need the front for my photos.

I found a little white tank top at goodwill and am going to use it to hide the imperfections.

It may not be the most professional looking end result, but it was actually pretty fun to do.

* Expect to see her (it?... I haven't got a name yet) displaying my necklaces real soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Spring and Weddings

It's Spring and a young man's thoughts turn to ....
Well, probably not weddings. LOL

I HAVE seen a lot of wedding items and wedding preparations showing up lately. My little shops are no different.
;)

I've been working up a few new designs for my Spring/ Summer Wedding Collection.
Here are a few of my first plus a favorite that seems to be generally liked.

Elegant Pearl with pretty Silver Curl, perfect for a Bride.


Lovely Pastel Blue Amazonite, would be pretty for a bridesmaid or lovely on a Bride


Stunning Golden Heart also comes in other colors. Take a peek at my starfish for more shades or contact me if you have a particular color scheme in mind.

A favorite for weddings. The union of two Hearts.

Stay tuned for more of my new wedding line to come!

Resolutions? ...maybe, Goals... Definitely!

Morning Everyone!

Resolutions? Maybe. Goals? Definitely!
My Etsy ArtistiKat shop and my ArtFire ArtKat shop are growing this year by leaps and bounds. Can't wait to see what the rest of the year brings.

With this in mind I've been making new items for the New Year and been trying to get organized. I've spent a great deal of time studying and planning how to improve my shops this year.

I DO have a long way to go, so I guess it's very lucky I love to do this. ;-)

You've seen my new header (hopefully). Yesterday I listed a new pair of earrings (below), and have a pretty garnet and prasiolite pair to photograph today. I hope I can keep this momentum going for the rest of the year. I would like to have at least 150 to 200 pieces in my shop(s).



I was lucky enough to snag the loveliest pair of petite aquamarine briolettes (drops) and wrapped them in sterling.
That clear pale blue is really speaking to me for some reason. I wish I had more of them.


Well, now that I have committed myself and posted my goals for this new year, what plans do you all have? I would love to know.

Holiday Specials at ArtistiKat and ArtKat

Happy holidays! I've been so busy gearing up for the holidays that I haven't been noticing how fast the time has been going. . . so much to do still.

Before any more time went by I wanted to fill you in on some new news:

1. I've opened a shop onArtFire called ArtKat in addition to my ArtistiKat shop on Etsy.

2. I'm running a free shipping special for the holiday season on all U.S. orders in both shops.

I've listed some new items. They appear in both shops, although eventually, after I get the hang of ArtFire, I'll probably mix up the items a bit. Feel free to stop by whichever you prefer and say Hi.

I like the color in these Swarovski Green Crystal earrings. Had a hard time deciding which is my favorite. The blue drops are pretty too... and the black... ;-)


These wrapped hoops with mini (2mm) amazonite beads dress up some simple sterling silver hoops.

☆ your purchase will come to you nicely gift boxed.

Hope everyone is having an awesome holiday season!